Jack Close

With three out of the five parties in parliament keen on some form of free tertiary education, reform seems inevitable. That might be great news for graduates, writes Jack Close, but for students it's a raw deal.

The National Party has voted: something needs to be done to improve students’ welfare. A new consensus has been formed, which may change the lives of struggling students across New Zealand, writes Jack Close

The living costs loan is designed to keep students housed and fed, but in our biggest cities it rarely even covers rent. That's where a new lobby group for legislative reform to improve students’ welfare comes in, says Jack Close, the group's founder.

It started with Stuff, was adopted with gusto by the NZ Herald, and now clickbait content is infecting 1News Now, the online news arm of TVNZ. It's yet more proof that the state broadcaster is no different from other commercial media organisation, says Jack Close – so isn't it time we abandoned the pretense it is?

The Spinoff is subject to NZ Press Council procedures. A complaint must first be directed in writing, within one month of publication, to info@thespinoff.co.nz. If not satisfied with the response, the complaint may be referred to the online complaint form at www.presscouncil.org.nz along with a link to the relevant story and all correspondence with the publication.